Gordian III (Latin:Marcus Antonius Gordianus; 20 January 225 –c. February 244) wasRoman emperor from 238 to 244. At the age of 13, he became the second-youngest sole emperor of the unitedRoman Empire.[6][b] Gordian was the son ofMaecia Faustina[7] and her husband Junius Balbus, who died before 238.[8] Their names are mentioned in the unreliableHistoria Augusta. Maecia was the daughter of EmperorGordian I and sister of EmperorGordian II.[7] Very little is known of his early life before his acclamation.
Aureus of Gordian III. Inscription: IMP. CAES. M. ANT. GORDIANVS AVG.
In 235, following the murder of EmperorAlexander Severus in Moguntiacum (modernMainz),[9] the capital of theRoman provinceGermania Superior,Maximinus Thrax was acclaimed emperor.[10] In the following years, there was a growing opposition against Maximinus in theRoman Senate and amongst the majority of the population ofRome. In 238, a rebellion broke out in theAfrica Province, where Gordian's grandfather and uncle,Gordian I andII, were proclaimed joint emperors.[11] This revolt was suppressed within a month by Cappellianus, governor ofNumidia and a loyal supporter of Maximinus Thrax.[11]
The Senate, showing its hostility towards Maximinus by supporting the Gordiani, electedPupienus andBalbinus as joint emperors.[12] These senators were not popular men, so the Senate decided to raise Marcus Antonius Gordianus to the rank ofCaesar (heir).[13] Maximinus, moving quickly to attack the Senate's newly elected emperors, encountered difficulties marching his army through an Alpine winter.[13] Arriving at Aquileia and short on supplies, Maximinusbesieged the city.[13] After four weeks, Maximinus' demoralized army mutinied and theLegio II Parthica murdered him.[14]
The situation for Pupienus and Balbinus, despite Maximinus' death, was doomed from the start with popular riots, military discontent and an enormous fire that consumed Rome. Soon after, Pupienus and Balbinus were killed by thePraetorian Guard and Gordian proclaimed sole emperor.[15] The exact chronology of events is disputed, but it was probably around August.[c]
Silver Antoninianus of Gordian III, mint of Rome, 238–239 AD; Obverse: IMP CAES M ANT GORDIANVS AVG, radiate, draped and cuirassed bust right; Reverse: VIRTVS AVG, Virtus standing facing in military dress, head left, with shield and spear; Reference: RIC 6, RSC 381
Due to Gordian's age, the imperial government was surrendered to the aristocratic families, who controlled the affairs of Rome through the Senate.[20] In 240,Sabinianus revolted in the African province, but he was quickly defeated.[21] In 241, Gordian was married toFuria Sabinia Tranquillina,[22] daughter of the newly appointedpraetorian prefect,Timesitheus. As chief of the Praetorian Guard and father-in-law of the Emperor, Timesitheus quickly became thede facto ruler of the Roman Empire.[23]
During Gordian's reign there were severeearthquakes, so severe that cities fell into the ground along with their inhabitants.[24] In response to these earthquakes Gordian consulted theSibylline Books.[24]
By the 3rd century, the Roman frontiers weakened against the Germanic tribes across theRhine andDanube, and theSassanid Empire across theEuphrates increased its own attacks. When the Sasanians underShapur I invadedMesopotamia, the young emperor opened the doors of theTemple of Janus for the last time in Roman history, and sent a large army to the East. TheSassanids were driven back over the Euphrates and defeated in theBattle of Resaena (243).[25] The campaign was a success and Gordian, who had joined the army, was planning an invasion of the enemy's territory, when his father-in-law died in unclear circumstances.[26] Without Timesitheus, the campaign, and the Emperor's security, were at risk. Due to the campaign's success, Gordian boasted about his achievements to the Senate.[24]
Gaius Julius Priscus and, later on, his own brother Marcus Julius Philippus, also known asPhilip the Arab, stepped in at this moment as the new Praetorian Prefects.[27] Gordian would then start a second campaign. Around February 244,[d] the Sasanians fought back fiercely to halt the Roman advance toCtesiphon.
The exact fate of Gordian is unclear, but he was most likely killed at theBattle of Misiche.An inscription erected by Shapur claims that a battle near modernFallujah (Iraq) resulted in a major Roman defeat and the death of Gordian III,[28] after which Philip bought peace for 500,000dinars.[29] Roman sources claim that the soldiers proclaimed Philip emperor, that he made peace with Shapur on "shameful" terms, and that Gordian died as the Roman forces departed for the west.[29]Zonaras says that Gordian died after falling from his horse during a battle.[29] One view holds that Gordian died at Zaitha, murdered by his frustrated army, while the role of Philip is unknown.[30] Scholarly analyses suggest the Sasanian version, "while defective[,] is superior" to the Roman one, which provides no explanation for why the victorious Roman army had to make peace on disadvantageous terms.[29]
The deposition of Gordian's body is also a matter of controversy. According toDavid S. Potter, Philip transferred the body of the deceased emperor to Rome and arranged for his deification.[31] Edwell, Dodgeon, and Lieu state that Philip had Gordian buried at Zaitha after the campaign against the Sasanians had ended in failure.[32][33]
^Gordian's birthday is recorded in theChronograph of 354.[1] The year is often given as 225 or 226 on the basis of a statement in theEpitome de Caesaribus, which was written around the year 400.[2] The text explicitly states that he was "killed in the twenty-first year of his life", meaning that he was twenty, i.e. born in 224.[3] However, the historianHerodian, who lived during Gordian's reign, states that he was "about thirteen".[4]
^The youngest sole emperor wasSeverus Alexander (aged 13), who was around one month more younger when he became emperor. Later child emperors only ruled one half of the Empire, e.g.Honorius (aged 10) andValentinian III (aged 6) in the West, andTheodosius II (aged 7) andMichael III (aged 2) in the East.
^The chronology of Gordian’s accession is heavily disputed. Contemporarypapyri show that news of his accession arrived to Egypt between the 8th (when Pupienus and Balbinus are last mentioned) and 21st of September, which suggests a date of mid-August.[16] However, a Greek inscription inShaqqa (Syria) dated to 27 March could suggest an earlier date. The name of the emperor is erased, and one view identifies him as Gordian III.[17] However, an identification with Maximinus appears to be more likely.[18] Maximinus, unlike Gordian, did suffer fromdamnatio memoriae,[18] and he is last mentioned in papyri from 7 April, while the Gordians are first mentioned in 13 June.[16][19]
^Gordian is last mentioned in an Egyptian inscription dated 26 February; Philip is first attested in a law of theCodex Justinianus dated 14 March. Taking into account travel time fromSyria to Rome, it's likely that Gordian died in late January or early February, with news of his death arriving in Rome in late February or early March.[16][18]
Dodgeon, Michael H.; Lieu, Samuel N. C., eds. (1991).The Roman Eastern Frontier and the Persian Wars (AD 226–363): A Documentary History, Part 1. Taylor & Francis.
Drinkwater, John (2007). "Maximinus to Diocletian and the 'Crisis'". In Bowman, Alan K.; Garnsey, Peter; Cameron, Averil (eds.).The Cambridge Ancient History: The crisis of Empire, A.D. 193–337. Vol. XII (2nd ed.). Cambridge University Press.
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